


This Is Where I Build My Home

by lialyn2



Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Hunters, Recruitment, Team Bonding, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-22
Updated: 2012-08-22
Packaged: 2017-11-12 16:51:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/493534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lialyn2/pseuds/lialyn2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Instead of continuing to keep her in the dark, the Argents recruit Lydia to be a hunter. AU. Fierce ladies, Allison and Lydia friendship, Argent women, etc.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is Where I Build My Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU that takes during/after the first season! It ignores a lot of S2 things, but that shouldn't be too distracting.
> 
> Also, there’s a [companion fanmix](http://oneoffour111.livejournal.com/79453.html) I made for Allison and Lydia’s friendship that can fit either this fic or the whole show or whatever you want to make of it! I just need these two to be bffs always.

**prologue.**

“Hey.” Kate stands in the doorframe between the Argent living room and entryway, arms crossed, shifting warily.

“Kate.” Chris sits back, leaning on the couch cushions. His eyes are shadowy and his expression betrays little. “It’s late.”

She glances upstairs as if to check for anyone there. “It’s late, but it’s quiet. And there’s something we need to discuss.”

“Oh?”

“I want to talk about Lydia Martin.”

He exhales and releases some of the tension pent up in his body, shaking his head in immediate protest. “We’ve talked—“

“You’ve talked,” she interrupts, but she gains control of herself once again. “Chris,” Kate says, “her test scores are off the charts. And more that, she consistently displays the grit and the drive that the work of a hunter demands. This girl is headed for something big, way beyond her role as queen bee of Lax Bros High. And if you ask me, it’s crucial to make sure she’s with us when that happens.”

“She is too close, Kate. Too close to the Whittemore boy, who’s possibly the other Beta, need I remind you, and too close to my daughter. Unless I can guarantee that Lydia’s future loyalties will continue to be with us, she’s too much of a liability.” Chris’s voice radiates frustration.

Kate shakes her head. “Is this not about Lydia? Are you seriously ignoring her potential because she’s known your daughter for all of half a school year? Allison’s a big girl, and I think you’re letting your feelings get in the way of seeing that.” She sighs, stretches, and stands up. “And remember, Chris. It may be necessary to keep you in the loop about these proceedings. It would certainly be easier to move forward on this if you agreed. But ultimately?” She cocks her hip, fixing him with a discerning look. “It’s not your decision to make.”

 

**1.**

Approximately two weeks later, Lydia Martin runs into Victoria Argent at the strip mall. Little does she know that everything is going perfectly according to plan.

She’s just spent half an hour at Bath & Body Works, although it must be admitted that she spent more time checking out the very cute, early-twenties manager there than she spent checking out any soaps or lotions. She’d batted her eyelashes and made some clever double entendres, and with a few well-timed pouts to boot, she’d gotten a couple of free C.O. Bigelow lip glosses out of the experience, too.

Now as she flounces out of the store with a blue-and-white-checkered bag on her arm, she and Allison’s mother’s paths cross. She drops the ditzy façade and switches it for a mask of casual cynicism; “Victoria,” Lydia coos dispassionately, because she knows how to play the game. “How’ve you been?”

“Quite well, I’m sure.” Mrs. Argent wears the ghost of a smile, but her eyes remain joyless. “Doing some shopping, are you?”

Lydia tilts her head to the side just a bit and imitates Mrs. Argent, her lips pursed slightly instead of smiling. She gestures to indicate the stores lined up in rows around her and at the three or four bags that adorn her arms. “How astute.”

“Of course,” Victoria responds. “How is school these days? And Jackson?”

“It’s dull. And so is Jackson.” She twirls a lock of hair around her finger. “And your family?”

“They’re well. Allison is looking forward to the end of the semester, but I’m sure you knew that. She’s spending an inordinate amount of time with Scott McCall, but you must’ve known that too.”

“She must see something in him.” Lydia shrugs, and together they reach a pause.

Mrs. Argent breaks the silence. “Actually, Lydia – it’s rather coincidental that we met today. But I’ve been meaning to discuss something with you.”

“Oh?”

“Oh, yes. Do you have some time?”

“Actually, I’m afraid I don’t. I have an prior arrangement—“

And here Mrs. Argent steps forward and takes Lydia’s arm, her body language harsh. “I’m sure something can be done about that.” Her voice turns saccharine again. “You know, you’re a special girl. You stand apart from the rather mindless fools who populate your age bracket,” and this throws Lydia a little bit; she’s never heard Allison’s mother saying things this acidic. She ponders that while she feels Mrs. Argent give her a contemplating once-over, and hears, “Anyway, Chris and I may have an opportunity for you.”

Overall, Lydia’s eyebrows are raised and her mouth has fallen open a little, but mostly she takes the interruption in stride. “You want to talk?” Mrs. Argent nods. “Well. I was headed to Starbucks anyway. We can talk after I get my macchiato.” And without waiting for an answer, she flips her hair, turns around, and walks toward the blue BMW waiting a few dozen yards away in the parking lot.

 

**2.**

The day of the commencement ceremony for the Beacon Hills High School Class of 2013 has arrived, but Lydia is thinking about anything but high school.

She stands in the nearly empty auditorium the school has rented out for the ceremony, practicing the valedictory speech that’ll be the best one anyone’s heard in a decade, but her heart isn’t in it and she wishes the whole ordeal was over with already. It’s not because of nerves – Lydia Martin is fierce, she knows that, and a few words to be given in front of some unimportant people are nothing to worry about. It’s just…high school is over. Why drag it on longer than necessary?

It was a stage in her life, four decent years of academics and popularity, but stages are meant to be ended, and that’s just what she’s doing with this one. It’s done, it’s finished – she’s learned what she could. But the most important set of events that’s taken place in those four years has nearly nothing to do with the school. It was a meeting in Starbucks, and then a dinner with the Argents, and then months of physical and mental training with Allison at her side. And today is the day when it all culminates, when she and Allison both become _genuine_ hunters by making their first kills.

Yes, stages are meant to be ended. But tonight, she’s hoping to begin a new one – one that’ll take advantage of her potential and make a difference in the world.

 

**3.**

The only part of her old life she ever purposefully revisits is Jackson Whittemore. It’s a few years after graduation – a few years full of self-preservation and codes and learning about just how much damage the wolves can inflict – and about how much damage _she_ can inflict as well. But for half of a moment, she allows herself to hope, to dare to hope, that he could once again have a place in her life. The little part of her that never fell out of love with him still hasn’t given up.

She sees him from her perch on a barside stool, and she feels sixteen again. His hair looks the same, his teeth still perfectly white, but his build is more solid, and he paces with a scowl on his face. He has a cell phone to his ear, engaged in an heated conversation, by the looks of it, and he thumbs at the “end call” button with more force than necessary, passing a few feet from a turned Lydia as he does. Allison is right next to Lydia, laughing with the bartender and swiveling her stool from side to side to side, leaning in over the counter.

Just when she thinks it’s safe again to twist around and face his back, she hears his voice on her right. “Allison Argent!” Allison jumps a little and turns away from the bar to face him. “You look… _amazing_.”

She does – Lydia had lent her the belt that perfectly matched her tank top – but that’s beside the point. Allison flips her hair over her shoulder, exposing a shoulder and shifting from left to right in her stool out of some minor discomfort. “Thanks,” she says, but her vague smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “It’s been forever.”

“Yeah,” he says, and nods. “And Lydia,” he says, finally noticing her. “You look great too.”

Lydia sucks in a breath and _glows_ ; she really does feel sixteen again. “Hi, Jackson,” she says quickly, eagerly.

He gives her half of a smile and turns back to Allison. “What are you up to tonight?”

Allison lays a hand on Lydia’s knee, indicating her. “She invited me here for a girls’ night out,” Allison confesses, tilting her head a little and grinning self-consciously. “I needed one.”

“Things not going so well with Scott?” Jackson looks concerned.

Allison chokes a little, losing her smile, and Lydia jumps in. “We don’t talk about him,” she says, her tone of voice carrying severe primness. “Not since…graduation.”

“Oh, you guys were doing so well.” Jackson makes a _what-are-you-going-to-do_ face. “I can relate, though.” He shrugs. “Things aren’t going so well with my fianceé.”

“You’re engaged?” Allison squeals while Lydia’s face falls.

“Yeah,” he replies unfeelingly. “Lindsey’s her name…but I’ve been rethinking things lately.”

“Okay, now I’m hooked,” Allison says, and pats the empty stool to the other side of her. “Have a couple drinks with us, tell us about what you’ve been up to. Where did you two meet?”

He sits down. As he does, Lydia’s heart is dropping, her cheeks are burning, each breath is crushing. And Jackson ignores her, looking only at Allison, deep into her eyes, making her laugh and touching her arm.

Lydia doesn’t know why she’d assumed that Jackson would always care for her. She’s imagined that she would always care for him – she hasn’t thought about him in ages, really, but there’s always been that one little part of her that _did_ care. But now she’s even doubting that.

Jackson had always been a little unhinged, looking back. A little control freakish, a little aggressive. But he was popular, and he was the captain of the lacrosse team, and long ago, he’d told her he loved her. So in high school, when she’d noticed oddities in his behavior – problems, even – she’d forgiven him. Because she’d thought she needed him, even if the relationship’s original purpose was only to give her a boost on the status ladder.

Had she _really_ needed him?

She thinks over her last few years – they’ve been the best of her life. She’s made a difference, saved lives and become brave.

She’s bold and strong and a hunter, and maybe…she doesn’t – maybe she doesn’t need him. She sits there, stirring her fruity drink with a tiny straw, contemplating her life and love and the boy that she’s just realized has no power over her anymore. She notices the imperfections in his face, the ridiculousness of his over-gelled haircut.

So. When he leans in for a kiss with Allison that night after ignoring Lydia for an hour, Allison sitting there blinking and shocked, Lydia stands up and leaves immediately, not a hint of dejection on her gorgeous face. Allison is right behind her; she apologizes to Lydia, apologizes profusely, saying that she hadn’t wanted that, had not wanted anything but Lydia’s companionship tonight. He’s nowhere near as important to me as you are.

Lydia knows. They’ve been friends for so long that these things are just understood, naturally. But still, those words…they serve to confirm the strengths she’s embraced tonight. Those words actually mean more to Lydia than she can say.

 

**4.**

Eventually, she becomes Allison’s second-in-command. And her teenage self could’ve never imagined this, a world this deep and a cause this important. Werewolves had seemed intriguing, exciting, dangerous in the way that gets your heart pounding but never gives you nightmares. But now she knows their true nature, vicious and animal and bloodthirsty, and no matter how many times she visits psychologists or takes any sleeping pill, she always has nightmares.

At least she has a purpose. And that’s why she loves being a hunter; everyone on it depends on each other for their lives, and though she’s moved beyond popularity as her measuring stick for success in life, her intelligence has made her invaluable to the team. Once Allison’s parents had died, the youngest Argent had inherited the position of leader of the pack, and there’d been no one she’d rather have by her side than Lydia.

Allison understands the nightmares and she understands the cause, and Allison values her. After all, as well-regarded as Lydia is as a hunter, there’s more to their bond than mutual appreciation of talent - it’s their shared history. They’ve been through everything together. Lydia’s been to the funerals of four Argents; the day Mr. Martin married a new woman from Seattle, Allison held her best friend until she couldn’t cry anymore.

Yes, life has thrown Lydia Martin a ridiculous amount of heartbreak. But she’s fierce, she’s determined, and she has the best best friend on earth. They’ve managed so far; they’ll manage until forever comes. Together, they’re unstoppable. They’re hunters.


End file.
